Sacked UNILAG VC Takes Fresh Action After Buhari’s Directive

Professor Oluwole Ogundipe has withdrawn a court case challenging his sack as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Naija News reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday directed Prof.Ogundipe to step aside.

Buhari also directed the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Dr. Wale Babalakin to recuse himself from official duties.

The president constituted a special visitation panel to look into the ongoing crisis in UNILAG.

The panel was given two weeks to submit its report.

In a statement by a member of Ogundipe’s legal team, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), the sacked VC stated that his withdrawal was based on Buhari’s directive.

He noted that the National Industrial Court, which he earlier approached, had neither sat nor conducted any proceedings in respect of the court case.

Adegboruwa said: “Contrary to the falsehood being peddled by mischief makers, the National Industrial Court has never sat or conduct any proceedings in respect of the court case filed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwole Ogundipe.

“No court proceedings ever took place at all and so no decision or ruling has been rendered by the court.

“Indeed, upon detailed consultation with all stakeholders and his supporters in and outside the University, Professor Ogundipe directed his Lawyer’s to file a notice of discontinuance of the suit and this has been done on August 21, 2020.

“This is to defer to the authority of the President as the Visitor of the University as Professor Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal.

“This falsehood is being spread to malign the court and blackmail the judiciary by enemies of the rule of law and due process.

“The general public is therefore advised to discountenance these mindless fabrications as the handiwork of those who are afraid of subjecting their illegal acts to the true test of probity and to be wary of fake news being peddled in place of truth, especially as they relate to deliberate manipulation of court proceedings.

“There was no time that the court sat to fix any date for the case.”